- 07 Aug 08, 10:40#60053
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
1970 Lamborghini Miura SV Jota
As if the Miura wasn't already radical enough, Lamborghini let test driver Bob Wallace make an experimental version that had no compromises to comfort and was prepared as a quasi-racecar. It became known as 'Miura Privata' by the factory but later known at Jota to potential customers.
Wallace described the car as a testbed "to see what could be done to improve engine oiling, stabilize handling and provide overall better build quality." Although eligible for Appendix J racing, Ferruccio's strict no-racing policy meant the Jota remained as one of the huge 'what ifs?' in automotive history.
Only one original Miura Jota was ever made, and it was Bob Wallace's personal test car built around chassis #5084. He used it to test various ideas that would prepare the Miura for the track and improve overall performance. Having plenty of time on his hands, the Jota became evermore radical to the point were it eclipsed the standard Miura by many degrees.
The main focus of Bob's modifications was to decrease and balance weight. This meant the car had a completely stripped interior, single window wiper, Plexiglas windows and fixed headlights, but the most of weight savings came from the use of a light-gauge aluminum alloy called Avional which was used for the new body, floor pan and front spoiler.
A proper weight balance was achieved by repositioning the fuel tanks which were moved into the sills of the car and the tire which was mounted just behind the engine. The reduction in weight combined with the a near perfect front to rear balance must have made the Jota handle on par with other race cars of the period.
From the outside, the new Jota was instantly recognizable from its Plexiglas headlight and aggressive front dam used to decrease front lift. At the side were new air apertures to increase brake cooling with riveted-in ducts.
Under the hood, the V12 received a comprehensive race treatment that used aggressive cams, an increased compression ratio of 11.5, unfiltered Weber carburetors, and a straight-through 'Megaphono' exhaust. Depending on the state of tune, 370 to 440 bhp was reached which was more than enough for the 1764 lbs (800 kgs) it powered.
To keep the internals in check, the transmission and engine cooling systems were separated and a dry sump lubrication system was installed. Power was transferred to the rear wheels trough a close-ratio ZF differential.
Soon after Wallace's modifications proved the Miura could become even more serious, customers began to request Jota-like options in their orders. Lamborghini obliged, and six cars, sometimes called Miura SVJs, cosmetically mimicked the performance of Bob's original.
Unlike the original, these customer cars had some interior comforts, but kept the purposeful body modifications and engine tuning. They also had suspension, exhaust and brake cooling upgrades and one or two received dry sump lubrication and an auto blocking differential.
While the customer cars didn't match the raw performance of Wallace's original, they did offer a huge improvement on an already outstanding supercar. No doubt they are the most sought after Lamborghinis in existence.
Chassis by Chassis
Currently around sixteen Miuras have been upgraded to reflect the performance and styling of the original Jota. Of these, only chassis #4860, #4892, #4990, #4934, #5100/4956, #5090 were sold with original factory upgrades. The other ten or so cars were officially updated later by Lamborghini or by Wallace himself.
#5084 'the Original' - This is Bob Wallace's personal toy and the car used to test new ideas on the Miura before the ultimate SV version appeared. In 1971, Lamborghini sold this car to Alfredo Belponer in Brecia and before being delivered it was rendered the car destroyed by an overzealous dealer test drive. Fortunately this car lives vicariously in the 15 or so cars that were made to reflect its character. One of these, with an 'IOTA' plate, is an exact replica made from original factory blueprints.
#4860 - The last of five original Jotas, this car was returned to the factory in 1972 by enthusiastic owner Hubert Hahne who specified a 110 litre fueltank, matte black accents and a white (bianco) leather interior. Currently the car is painted silver despite its orginal black paint (nero).
#4934 'Shah of Iran car' - Originally ordered by the Shah of Iran as one of his many Miuras, this car was seized in 1995 and eventually auctioned to Nicolas Cage for $490,000 USD. 4394 has since been sold to a collector in the UK and has 4,800km on the odometer.
4892 - Built as the first SVJ and possbly a prototype, 4892 was completed on 3th of July, 1971. It spent most of its life in Japan after being imported by Tomita. It was originally white, but got resprayed Rosso Granada with Naturale interior in 1973. In 2006, the car was shipped to the USA, and it was later auctioned at Russo and Steele's Collector Automobile Auctions in 2008. They described the car as "nearing full restoration completion by marque specialist Gary Bobileff."
Story by Richard Owen
As if the Miura wasn't already radical enough, Lamborghini let test driver Bob Wallace make an experimental version that had no compromises to comfort and was prepared as a quasi-racecar. It became known as 'Miura Privata' by the factory but later known at Jota to potential customers.
Wallace described the car as a testbed "to see what could be done to improve engine oiling, stabilize handling and provide overall better build quality." Although eligible for Appendix J racing, Ferruccio's strict no-racing policy meant the Jota remained as one of the huge 'what ifs?' in automotive history.
Only one original Miura Jota was ever made, and it was Bob Wallace's personal test car built around chassis #5084. He used it to test various ideas that would prepare the Miura for the track and improve overall performance. Having plenty of time on his hands, the Jota became evermore radical to the point were it eclipsed the standard Miura by many degrees.
The main focus of Bob's modifications was to decrease and balance weight. This meant the car had a completely stripped interior, single window wiper, Plexiglas windows and fixed headlights, but the most of weight savings came from the use of a light-gauge aluminum alloy called Avional which was used for the new body, floor pan and front spoiler.
A proper weight balance was achieved by repositioning the fuel tanks which were moved into the sills of the car and the tire which was mounted just behind the engine. The reduction in weight combined with the a near perfect front to rear balance must have made the Jota handle on par with other race cars of the period.
From the outside, the new Jota was instantly recognizable from its Plexiglas headlight and aggressive front dam used to decrease front lift. At the side were new air apertures to increase brake cooling with riveted-in ducts.
Under the hood, the V12 received a comprehensive race treatment that used aggressive cams, an increased compression ratio of 11.5, unfiltered Weber carburetors, and a straight-through 'Megaphono' exhaust. Depending on the state of tune, 370 to 440 bhp was reached which was more than enough for the 1764 lbs (800 kgs) it powered.
To keep the internals in check, the transmission and engine cooling systems were separated and a dry sump lubrication system was installed. Power was transferred to the rear wheels trough a close-ratio ZF differential.
Soon after Wallace's modifications proved the Miura could become even more serious, customers began to request Jota-like options in their orders. Lamborghini obliged, and six cars, sometimes called Miura SVJs, cosmetically mimicked the performance of Bob's original.
Unlike the original, these customer cars had some interior comforts, but kept the purposeful body modifications and engine tuning. They also had suspension, exhaust and brake cooling upgrades and one or two received dry sump lubrication and an auto blocking differential.
While the customer cars didn't match the raw performance of Wallace's original, they did offer a huge improvement on an already outstanding supercar. No doubt they are the most sought after Lamborghinis in existence.
Chassis by Chassis
Currently around sixteen Miuras have been upgraded to reflect the performance and styling of the original Jota. Of these, only chassis #4860, #4892, #4990, #4934, #5100/4956, #5090 were sold with original factory upgrades. The other ten or so cars were officially updated later by Lamborghini or by Wallace himself.
#5084 'the Original' - This is Bob Wallace's personal toy and the car used to test new ideas on the Miura before the ultimate SV version appeared. In 1971, Lamborghini sold this car to Alfredo Belponer in Brecia and before being delivered it was rendered the car destroyed by an overzealous dealer test drive. Fortunately this car lives vicariously in the 15 or so cars that were made to reflect its character. One of these, with an 'IOTA' plate, is an exact replica made from original factory blueprints.
#4860 - The last of five original Jotas, this car was returned to the factory in 1972 by enthusiastic owner Hubert Hahne who specified a 110 litre fueltank, matte black accents and a white (bianco) leather interior. Currently the car is painted silver despite its orginal black paint (nero).
#4934 'Shah of Iran car' - Originally ordered by the Shah of Iran as one of his many Miuras, this car was seized in 1995 and eventually auctioned to Nicolas Cage for $490,000 USD. 4394 has since been sold to a collector in the UK and has 4,800km on the odometer.
4892 - Built as the first SVJ and possbly a prototype, 4892 was completed on 3th of July, 1971. It spent most of its life in Japan after being imported by Tomita. It was originally white, but got resprayed Rosso Granada with Naturale interior in 1973. In 2006, the car was shipped to the USA, and it was later auctioned at Russo and Steele's Collector Automobile Auctions in 2008. They described the car as "nearing full restoration completion by marque specialist Gary Bobileff."
Story by Richard Owen
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
??? I guess your frustration of not being able to afford a Gallardo must have led to your spelling error, I understand 
. Sure sound's like to me matey your having some anger issue's and what is wrong with knowing how to make alot of money that let's one afford a car we would all LOVE to own?
! Get in with or join your local exotic car club and you will have a different perspective. Dont spread hate spread the love!!!!